Gate-latch



(No Model.)

W. MATHEWS.

GATE LATCH. No. 330,992. r Patented Nov. 24, 1885.

7% .dttorneyg ATENT wi WVILLIAM MATHEWS, OF LLANO, TEXAS.

GATE-LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,992, dated November2f 1885. Application filed September 5, 1885. Serial No. 176,245. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM MArHEws, a citizen of the United States,residing at Llano, in the county of Llano and State of Texas, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Gate-Latches, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings.

My invention has relation toimprovements in catches especially adaptedfor use in connection with gates of the swinging or hinged class; andthe novelty consists in the peculiar construction, combination,arrangement, and adaptation of the several parts for service,substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointedout in the claim.

The object of my invention is to provide a gate-catch which shallobviate the necessity of inserting the hand between the gate-bars tounlateh the fastening catch, which is fre quently attended with dangerof hurting the hand, caused by the gate prematurely swinging open beforethe hand can be disengaged, and to provide means which shall combinesimplicity with strength and durability, which shall be thoroughlyeffective and easy of operation, not liable to become disarranged orbroken, and which shall be unaffected by the weather.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure l is a perspective view of a gateembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detailed View of the locking-boltand its operating means detached from the gate. Fig. 3 is a verticalsectional view thereof, and Fig. 4 isa detail perspective view of thelocking bolt or rod catch.

Referring to the drawings, iuwhich corresponding letters of referencedenotelike parts in all the figures, A designates the gate,of anypreferred construction or design, hinged or pivoted so as to be capableof aswinging movement in a horizontal plane upon a post, A. A designatesthe gate-post,which is provided with the catch 13, that engages thelockingbolt 0, carried by the gate, and which serves to lock the sameagainst movement when in engagement with the catch 13. The locking boltor rod 0 passes through a cylinder, D, having perforated lugs 61 d eastthereon on each side and near the ends thereof. The cylinder supportsthe locking-bolt,and is secured upon one of the uprights or other partof the gate, at the outer end thereof and at a point near the top,topermit the end of the locking bolt or rod to project above the plane ofthe top bars of the gate,to permit the same to be easily operated fromeither side thereof without compelling the operator to insert the handthrough the bars of the gate. The cylinder D is provided at its endswith flanges d, on which rest and are bolted or otherwise suitablysecured thereto caps or heads-D, the upper one of which has a circularaperture or opening for the passage of the lockingbolt, while the lowerone has an enlarged squared opening, to permit the passage of the lowerend of the locking rod or bolt. The rod or bolt 0 has a knob, G, securedupon the upper end thereof for its convenient operation, and at thepoint where it enters the cylinder-head it is reduced or cut away, toprovide a stop or shoulder, a, to prevent the rod going too far in thecylinder. The lower end of the rod before it emerges from the cylinderis enlarged and made square, to prevent the rod from turning or rotatingin the cylinder, the apertures in the cylinder-heads fitting snuglyagainst the rounded and squared port-ions of the locking rod or bolt.

E designates a coiled or spiral spring, arranged around the locking rodor bolt within the cylinder D, one end of said spring being secured tothe locking-bolt, and the other end being free to bear upon one of thecylinderheads,to maintain the locking-bolt in its closed position at alltimes and in engagement with the catch B, such being the normal positionthereof. The lower end of the bolt or rod is provided with aright-angled foot, 1F, arranged in a horizontal plane, to which issecured or formed a locking shoulder, G, depending downwardly therefromin a vertical position, and having its extreme lower end beveled orrounded, as at g, to permit the same to readily pass over the plate b ofthe catch B, the forward end of the horizontal foot having a curvedprojecting tongue, G.

The catch B constitutes a single casting with the horizontallocking-plate b and the Vertical right-angled lugs 79, arranged aboveand below the horizontal plate b, and having apertures b",to permitscrews to pass through to secure the plate in position upon the gatepostA, the side edges or faces of the hori- ICO zontal plate b being beveledor rounded, as at I), on each side, to permit the beveled end of thelocking-foot to slide easily over the same in opening and closing thegate.

It will be observed that the spring-actuated rod is always kept normallydepressed by the spring, and when the gate is closed the horizontal armof the locking-foot lies parallel with and upon the horizontal plate ofthe gate-catch B, while the vertical arm of the foot is arranged at oneside of the plate, fitting over the beveled edge thereof, the gate andits locking-bolt being permitted to come sufficiently forward to allowthe locking-foot to engage the plate or catch B.

The operation of myinventionis as follows: To unlatchthe gate,thelocking rod or bolt is elevated by pressing or pulling upon the headthereof, which causes the spring to retract or give and elevates thelocking-foot from engagement with the latch-plate B b. The gate is nowpushed open and the rod held elevated until the locking-foot thereof haspassed the 1ocking-plate,when the rod is released and the force of thespring returns it to its normal position.

To look the gate, it is only necessary to elevate the rod until its footis in engagement with the shoulder. The catch B is located midwaybetween the upper and lower ends of its post, and the spring-bolt andits operating mechanism is located at the upper portion of the gate,topermit the locking-foot of the rod or bolt to come in engagement withthe catch, the upper end of said bolt projecting above the gate-bars,topermit the same to be operated without requiring the .hand to beinserted between the'gate-bars, which is a great desideratum. The lowerend of the locking-rod being squared and working in a squared bearing inthe cylinder-head prevents the rod from turning and disarranging thelockingfoot, while the upper end of the rod is cut away or shouldered',which bears upon the upper cylinderhead and prevents the rod being drawndown too far.

The device can be easily and readily attached to and removed from a gateand post by any person, it only being necessary to place the deviceinposition and secure it thereon by means of screws or nails passingthrough the perforated lugs.

The retracting-spring,being inclosed wholly within the casing orcylinder,is protected from the weather and danger of becoming broken ormisplaced.

The device is simple, strong, and durable in construction, effective andeasy in operation, and cheap of manufacture.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure'by Letters Patent, is-

In a gatecatch, the combination, with the gate and post A of a cylinderhaving perforated lugs and removable heads,alocking-bolt working in thecylinder and projecting above the'plane of the gate, said rod having areduced portion or shoulder, a, a squared portion, anda right-angledlocking-foot, aspring arranged in the cylinder and secured at one end tothe locking-bolt, and a horizontal catchplate having beveled side edgesand per-forated lugs for securing the plate to the post A, substantiallyas described.

In testimony that'I claim the foregoing as my own Ihave hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM M ATHEWS.

WVitnesses:

O. O. CURRIE,

J. M. Animus.

